|
 | |  | |
If ever there was a place in this world that has given me peace and happiness, then surely this must be Henley-on-Thames, wrote Keith Downer of Worthing, who was born in 1927, and recalls holidaying on the river.
Many years ago, back in the 1950's I first saw it in those lovely days when Shirley was a little girl, and Mum and my brother Roy were alive and with us. We had booked a holiday at a bungalow named 'Satsuma' on the island called 'Rodeyot'. Every journey had to be done by boat, even to obtain milk or to empty the rubbish bin. But we would sit in the garden and watch the passing motor cruisers with the happy holidaymaking crews. We enjoyed visits in Henley, to the church, the pubs and nice little shops.
Mum always loved the sunsets and the evening colours on the river. Roy and I used to row the boats down river at night when all was still and quiet, only the occasional fish jumping out of the water to break the silence. Early morning was picturesque as the sun streamed into our bedrooms and the ducks quacked and splashed in the river. Mum would come into the bedrooms with a nice freshly made cup of tea to start the day off well. We went back to Henley many times as the years passed. But so many things have caused us to stop going there.
During the last few months of brother Roy's life, we stopped there for refreshments whilst on our way to the Cotswolds for our last holiday together. The look on Roy's face as we walked along the riverside by Parrotts and Hobbs' Boat Yards said it all.
A wealth of happy memories.
'Sweet Thames Flow Sweetly'.
| |  | |  |
To add a comment you must first login or join for free, up in the top left corner.
|
|
